A Messy Advent

The Advent season arrives on time, no matter the state of my readiness. 

I can't beg for just one more week tacked on the end 

of November--seven more days to declutter a pantry, 

lose the Thanksgiving pounds, and pen a 

comprehensive Christmas list. 

Instead, the season of celebrating the Incarnation rolls in, 

garbed in royal dignity, to adorn our humble home--

unconcerned with the state of my dining room table. 

The Spirit of Christmas, made manifest in a lowly manger, 

is not bothered by the chaos. 

So I'll stop to worship in the 

midst of real life, light the candle of HOPE, and 

gaze into the mystery of 

Emmanuel--

God with us. 

Invite Him into the middle of your mess and 

discover the real miracle of Christmas. 

 

Pondering the Season

Christmas is hanging out in my living room, 

trying its best to be shiny and bright. 

About 50% of the bubble lights are actually bubbling--not bad. 

Are there bubble light consultants? 

This might be the perfect seasonal side hustle.

1) Flick the glass stems--oh, so delicately, of course. 

2) Mutter, "Hmmm."

3) Unplug lights, wait 30 seconds, and turn them on again. 

4) Adjust glass stems to point directly at the ceiling

 and repeat steps 1- 3.

5) Collect $75.

Ginger cookies will be my main baked treat this year. 

There's nothing better to dunk in coffee.

Find the recipe and backstory here. 

THIS happened in November. 

I've spent a little bit of time figuring out how to sign a book--

a skill I didn't know existed. The one below is for 

a dear friend to gift to her brother's dogs. How fun is that?

You can check it out here.

At the end of the day--any day of the year--it's really about this.

Pondering the Incarnation and all its beauty is enough to 

fill every moment of the season. 

 

Buckeye Bliss

Peanut butter balls—buckeyes—are a Christmas favorite. 

If you have access to real buckeyes, you 

probably should not get a kick out of placing a few of those in the 

candy tin with these delicious peanut-butter-and-chocolate ones.

I wouldn't dream of showing up at a holiday gathering without 

a generous collection of these for the dessert table. 

It's easy to make these ahead and hide them in a 

cool spot until it's time to share. 

Good luck with that. 

After making these for decades, I'm happy to share more 

detailed directions for a double batch—my standard.

- Combine softened butter, peanut butter, and sugar to 

form a stiff dough.

- Roll into 1" balls and place on a waxpaper-covered cookie sheet.

- Chill in the freezer for about 15 minutes.

- While you wait, melt one square of candy wax in a double boiler until clear, then add two bags of dark chocolate morsels. Stir until smooth.

- With a toothpick, dip chilled balls in melted chocolate. 

- Store in the refrigerator so you get a nice snap when you take a bite.

It's all about the snap, folks. 

Enjoy!

*****

If you make these, I'd love to see you with your finished product!

Share them and tag me on Instagram. 

 

Teetering toward Christmas

It's commonly thought the main purpose of an Advent house 

like this one is to bring daily delight to tiny drawer-openers. 

But I think it might be to 

s l o w   d o w n 

the season.

Without one of these, my December has flown by, and 

I find myself teetering unsteadily on the doorstep of Christmas. 

The decorations are up and shiny bright.

I've grabbed a few chapters of this to  

enlighten and encourage my spirit. 

But I find myself needing more time to ponder the manger. 

While I go do that, here are two Christmas posts from the 

person I used to be—a mom with little boys to entertain over 

a long Christmas break. 

Christmas Conversations - 

Ask your littles what they think about some holiday topics. 

Questions included.

 Christmas Risk -

Risk and win points by answering Christmas questions (included).

 

A Place to Rest

 I think I've finally given up on grappling my way into a familiar Christmas season. 

2020 is going to be contrarily consistent all the way to its very last day. 

This, though, remains the same—year after year, age to age. 

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. 

Immanuel, Christ WITH us. 

And that, friends, is a safe place to rest as 2021 sweeps in.

Something to read here and here. 

Something to soak up here. 

Something funny here. 

Handmade Gifts

How do you feel about handmade gifts? 

I've always hesitated to gift my own creations, believing them to be a little bit "less than."

Less valued than store-bought; less useful than a gift card; 

less dazzling than whatever the most popular social influencer recommends--"swipe up!"

But this year, I'm feeling some freedom to give handmade. 

So this morning I handled brittle antique sheet music and forced 

myself to cut it, recalling how the pages were rescued from the trash. 

Folding tattered edges into shape took extra time, but I didn't mind, 

envisioning the final lovely outcome.

I shrugged aside qualms and pushed a wooden brace through 

centenarian page layers, taking care not to waste a single scrap of print.

 

That's when phrases from Psalm 103 slid into the corner of my heart.

God forms you in the same way, the Spirit seemed to hint. 

"For He knows our frame; He is mindful that we are dust." 

He knows you're often fragile, brittle, tattered.

"As for man ... your days are like grass--blooming, vanishing, forgotten."

Yet He tenderly chooses you anyway, knowing the potential for glory exists. 

"But from everlasting to everlasting the loving devotion 

of the LORD extends to those who fear Him."

In unmatched patience, He shapes, folds, and fashions you into the 

image of the blessing He intends to gift to others.

" ... we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, 

which God prepared in advance for us to do." 

(Ephesians 2:10)

And just like the psalmist, my soul rose up in joy. 

Bless the Lord ... bless the Lord ... bless the Lord.

It's Married

Touring an art museum with a little one is an adventure not to be missed. 

Especially at Christmas. 

(whispered conversation, of course)

"Look there—do you see Baby Jesus?"

"Yes!"

"And who's that with him?" 

"Married."

The Right Time

Sometimes my life feels like this old watch with no hands. 

TIme tick-tick-ticks away and I have absolutely no way to measure or control it. 

Time presses in on my thoughts constantly, and I give my own voice to its shrill demands.

When will it be time? 

Are we almost there? 

How long will this take? 

Publishing is one of the slowest processes in the career world, falling just behind Bonsai tree farming. 

I'm impatient and often plan an escape to something faster and better paying, albeit less fulfilling. 

The scriptures show my experience is nothing new.  

The people of Israel paddled the same boat—waiting, with no sign of encouragement, for their hope to be fulfilled. They cried out for Messiah—the One who would rescue them from oppression, restoring freedom and prosperity. 

When will it be time? 

Are we almost there? 

How long will this take? 

As we enter the Advent season of reflection, please know that our struggle with time is nothing new. Go ahead and let the questions fly before God's throne. But don't get up from your knees yet (or the bed, park bench, bus seat—wherever you pray). Instead, take time to ponder Galatians 4:4-7. 

Don't miss this opportunity to express faith. 

Because at just the right time ... He will come through. 

"But when the fullness of time had come ... God sent his Son."

And it will be better than you dreamed.

"... you are no longer a slave, but a son, 

and if a son, then an heir through God."

Almost Ready

I'm almost ready for this. 

And this—the Christmas Eve Spoons game.

I know ... it can get a little bit violent. Great-Grandma's pedestal table 

rocks and sways when cookie-drunk players grab the closest spoon. 

If you've never played here are the directions.

And here's a video example, but these people remain seated almost all the time.

Not enough cookies.

If, in the hustle and bustle of the holidays, 

you find your heart unprepared for Christmas, 

here's a link to Advent messages from John Piper.
He applies the most unexpected Bible passages to the Advent season. 

They're short, and you can listen or read them.

Lord at Thy Birth

Silent night, holy night,
Son of God, love's pure light;
Radiant beams from thy holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.

Whether we acknowledge it or not, it's still true.

If we choose to bow before Him or not, He's still King.

So let's approach the Lord like the shepherds did back then—

in the company of others,

making our way to Him in a hurry,

undistracted by the cares of career, 

eager to tell others the Christmas good news.

Who Knew?

Just a glimpse—that's what I long for at Christmas time. 

A flash of nativity glow, one whiff of sacred stable air. 

What would it have been like to witness the incarnation?

We often imagine Mary and Joseph going it alone in a cozy, well-lit barn 

scene, but it's possible that there were many who observed 

at least a few moments of the event—an unreported, unnoticed crowd of gawkers.

I think it's likely that Mary's plight drew the attention of other

female travelers. Maybe one of them was drawn into the 

scene to act as midwife to the untried young woman, mother to the Son of God. 

Lodgers from the over-crowded inn probably heard Mary's birthing 

groans and winced, then talked a little bit louder to drown out the sound.

Perhaps humble barn boys, busily tending pack animals and supplying livestock, 

were the very first to hear the cries of the newborn king. 

Building and Crushing

We used to build these, only to crush them a few weeks later.

I think this one's from 2010—so long since I huddled 

with my school-age sons around this edible architecture project.

The traditional house smashing on New Year's Eve was always hard for me, 

although the guys could hardly wait for that part. 

Children have less trouble letting go than adults, I think.

What will we build in 2017? 

How much of our work will be crushed and swept into the garbage?

What will survive to nourish and bring good pleasure to those around us? 

Please join me to prayerfully consider what will be built in 2017, 

in our lives and in the lives of those we love.

To ponder - Psalm 127:1

Unless the LORD builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted.

An Unexpected Gift

We took our tribe of guys, their friends, and some older family members out 

on a gray, blustery day to see a Christmas program. 

The auditorium was packed full, and the seats we finally claimed were on the extreme right 

edge of the stage. By the time we finished shuffling our elders to the better seats, 

I had no view of the set at the back of the stage at all, but a decent view of the stage itself. 

Circumstances were not ideal, if you get my drift. 

The house lights went down, the play began, and my heart was tossed right into a hurricane.

The music, the props, the movement ... I was swept, unanchored, into the drama of the incarnation.

My neighbors to the left and right—unaffected.

Those in the rows around me rustled and shuffled as you would expect, but I was 

bolted in my seat, blanketed by a downy heaviness, the very last thing I 

expected to experience. 

I'm not unfamiliar with what happened. 

In the old-time church circles of my youth, they'd say, 

"The Holy Ghost was strong in the house today!"

I came away refreshed and almost raw, with a newly circumcised heart—

a precious Christmas gift from my heavenly Father. 

Have you ever had a similar experience? 

I'd love to hear about it.

Quite a Trick

The Christmas tree is up and trimmed. 

It's our tradition to slug all the holiday containers down from the attic, order 

Chinese food, and decorate the tree and house in one evening

with It's a Wonderful Life playing in the background.

My family's favorite part of this might be the egg rolls.

But this year, I sensed an undertone that surprised me. 

Turns out I wasn't the only one to figure out that this is our last holiday like all those 

that came before. I knew it, of course—our Oldest is on the brink of buying a home of 

his own, our Second is getting married in the spring, and our Youngest is off to college 

next fall. Yes, for sure, next Christmas will be very different. 

And it seemed that each of us paused for just a moment and nodded to that fact.

One of the tricks of parenting adults and almost-adults, I think, must be 

to spend more time anticipating what's to come than clinging to what's passed by. 

Not an easy trick, my friends, especially with a bellyful of shrimp lo mein.

Christmas Eve

"Oh, holy night!

The stars are brightly shining.

It is the night of our dear Savior's birth.

Long lay the world in sin and error pining,

'til He appeared and the soul felt its worth.

Fall on your knees! Oh hear the angel voices!

Oh night divine, 

Oh night when Christ was born."
-Adolphe Adam

Was your Christmas Eve was all you hoped for? 
I got to enjoy the unmistakable aroma of an old church, 
hear a handbell choir
(it would be very hard to stay humble as a bell choir member), 
and pass the candlelight from hand to hand. 

Why is it almost impossible to keep weeping at bay during 
this simple Silent Night ceremony?
The symbolism of receiving the tiny flame and sharing it with strangers, 
as well as the ones I love, 
plinks something deep inside. 
If only we shared the True Light as eagerly, 
without the slightest hesitation.

This is a New Year resolution to consider...

Best-Ever Christmas Gift

When my boys were little, I asked them for one gift - a Christmas song.

Not just any old, raggedy holiday song, but a real Christmas carol - a hymn.

No shopping or cash required; no wrapping paper, scissors, or tape to worry about.

Perfect!

My request generated hushed practices behind closed bedroom doors, and stray 

sheets of music threatened to ruin the surprise. Occasionally a musical instrument 

made it into the mix, and my favorite song ever, "We Three Kings", included props. 

I love that they were committing sacred, and sometimes ancient, phrases to memory:

"Come, desire of nations, come; Fix in us thy humble home."

"... to save us all from satan's power when we have gone astray ..."

"Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:'God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;'"

Many years later, I'm still asking for my Christmas hymn. 

Every year, it's the last gift given, sometimes almost forgotten in all the December 25th excitement. 

My men and almost-men line up amid discarded paper wrapping and empty boxes to sing. 

It's my favorite gift, by far the best three minutes of Christmas Day.

And just imagine how this might work out in the years to come. Lord willing, 

daughters-in-law will join in giving me this cheap and easy-to-wrap gift, and maybe ... 

even the grandkids will sing along someday.

What a gift that would be!

What About the Innkeeper?

Here's a re-made version of an old photo of our "play creche"
with words from one of my favorite Christmas carols.

Click on over to Jeanne Doyon's blog, Pausing to See God Clearly, to see the 
back story behind the photo.  
and find out why the innkeeper never got out to play.
Here's a link to her blog. Make sure to check back in the new year - 
Jeanne always has great content on her blog. 

Link to Lint

I'm guest posting at Jeanne Doyon's blog today!

Come read my post about how Christmas memories are a lot like ...

LINT.

This link will take you there. Enjoy!

Transformation

Almost everyone is familiar with Charles Dicken's iconic character, Ebenezer Scrooge.

Talk about a character arc! Old Scrooge went from bad to good in just one night. 

The first ghost lead him on a path of regret, 

the second ghost took him on a journey of misgivings, 

but the third specter brought him to his knees. 

The reluctant witness of his own demise, Scrooge begs for mercy. 

Overcome with repentance, Ebenezer grovels at his own gravesite.

The transformation is amazing, and I never get tired of 

witnessing the birth of the NEW Scrooge.

Here's a few versions for your Christmas ponderings.

Christmas Conversations

As parents, we spend LOTS of time telling our kids what to do and when; we go on and on

 about how things should be, or at least, how we think they should be.

Christmas is a chance to change that a little bit. Instead of telling, do some asking. 

ASK THEM what they think.

 Draw out their opinions, then pose the question WHY? Their answers will surprise you.

First, find a Christmas cup or bowl, grab a holiday box or bag to hold 

the conversation starters.

Write questions on paper slips, fold each, and tuck them in the Christmas Conversations container. 

Or you could call it the  the Christmas Hmmmm Cup, who knows what 

clever name you'll invent.

Every day at a meal time, pull one out, and let the conversation flow. 

You might want to set up rules if you parent some siblings who love to argue: No put-downs. Everyone is allowed to say what they think. This is just for fun.

Here's a list of question ideas to get you started.
Why do you think God led wise men to Jesus with a star?
What do you think the star looked like? Could everyone see it?
What do you think the gifts of the wise men really meant?
Was the innkeeper a hero or a villain? Under the same circumstances, what would you have done?
What do you think the shepherds thought when the angels began to sing?
The shepherds made haste to Bethlehem. Do you think they left anyone behind with the sheep?
What do you think the sheep did when the angel proclaimed the Good News? Did they bleat? Lie down? Run around?
A Christmas hymn says about Baby Jesus, "... no crying he makes." Do you think this was true?
What are swaddling clothes? Do people use swaddling cloths today?
Why do you think Baby Jesus was laid in a manger?
What do you think the place where Jesus was born actually looked like?
What is a like to be in a barn /stable? What does it look like, smell like, feel like?
At Christmas time, why do people use lights to decorate?
Why do you think we use an evergreen tree at Christmas time instead of any other kind of tree?
What if there were no presents under the tree on Christmas morning - what would you do?
If you could give ANY Christmas gift, with unlimited budget, what would you give?
If you could get rid of any Christmas tradition, what would it be and why?